06 March 2015

Sacrifice Everything

Black to move

This position is Problem 12 in Encyclopedia of Chess Combinations, 5th ed. (2014), published by Šahovski Informator (Chess Informant). For the past several years, I have been enjoying the electronic edition of Anthology of Chess Combinations, 3rd ed (2005) and will continue to do so. The Anthology was part of my selection with credit that I received for placing fifth in a Chess Informant Reader's Contest (see "Best of the Best: Chess Informant Reader's Contest").

There are many benefits to electronic books. They are light weight and require minimal storage space. The electronic edition of Anthology of Chess Combinations includes a "solver's kit"--a software interface with search capabilities and other features. Solving positions onscreen makes using the Anthology simple. See my review at "Anthology of Chess Combinations".

Print books still have their merits in this electronic age. With a pencil, I can track how I did on each problem and when I solved it (or failed). If I put the book away for a couple of months, my bookmark will remain in place and I can resume where I left off. In my review of the Anthology, I noted that tracking completed problems was the most important feature absent from the software.

The Encyclopedia, 5th edition adds approximately 300 problems over the total in the Anthology, 3rd edition. The organization of problems has changed somewhat. Morphy's famous queen sacrifice (see "Morphy's Immortal") was the first problem in the electronic edition of the Anthology and appears as number 191 (the first of the advanced in the annihilation of defense section) in the Encyclopedia.

I ordered the Encyclopedia last week and qualified for free shipping because I added the Informants missing from my collection. It arrived yesterday. I am happy!

Youth Chess

Scholastic players and parents: The label "Problem of the Week" links to posts that contain my "lesson of the week." These blog posts serve to reinforce what is presented in my after school and in-school chess clubs.

I am available for one-on-one lessons in person or online. Use the contact form below if interested.